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The 2011 Spring Technical Forum proceedings are now available for purchase. The CD-ROM features all of the papers that were used as the basis for the Spring Technical Forum sessions at The Cable Show 2011.

This year’s Spring Technical Forum sessions featured various subjects and authors:

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If you know of a better U.S. city than Chicago in which to spend a week during the summer, I’d like to hear it. Maybe it’s the fact that winters in this town can be so unrelenting, or maybe it’s just something about having such a magnificent body of water literally just a stone’s throw away from downtown.

Whatever the reason, come summertime there is never a shortage of things to do during in my home town, including dozens of something that has become a true summer tradition in Chicago: the neighborhood street festival (www.chicagoneighborhoodfestivals.us).

And while what to do is entirely up to you, and would depend entirely on one’s personal taste in leisure time activity, here are just a few recommendations for you, should you be one of the lucky ones coming into town a few days early.

Ribfest

In Chicago, we take this “hog butcher to the world” thing very seriously. In fact, so seriously that during the summer we’ll stop traffic, set up police barricades and let 50,000 people eat, drink and party. What’s more, we’ll even let them dance in the street to iconic hometown bands like this year’s headliners, Styx.

Wells Street Art Festival

Right in the heart of the city’s Old Town neighborhood on the near North Side is Wells Street, home to an annual art fair that is so big and so eagerly anticipated that over $1 million in art is bought and sold there annually. And even if you’re not there to buy, you can still savor the three staples of summer in Chicago: great food, refreshing drinks and, of course, terrific music.

What: Wells Street Art Festival

When: Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, 10 am to 10 pm

Where: On Wells St. from Division to North Ave

Movies in the Park

The Chicago Parks Department’s summer-long Movies in the Park series kicks off its 2011 season with one of the true classics from one of Hollywood’s masters: Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. The series showcases hit (or cult) films with a Chicago connection, which in this case means a number of scenes shot on location, including an exterior shot in front of the old Midway Airport terminal.

What: Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest

When: Tuesday, June 14 (at dusk)

Where: South Belmont Harbor (corner of Belmont and Lake Shore Drive)

(The Original) Billy Goat Tavern

Long before it achieved national fame as the “Cheezeborger, cheezeborger” place on Saturday Night Live, the Billy Goat Tavern achieved a certain amount of infamy locally. First, because it bought by Greek immigrant named Billy Sianis with a $205 check, which bounced. Second, because Sianis placed a curse on his beloved Cubs after they wouldn’t allow him to take his pet goat to the 1945 World Series. And finally, because it served as a home away from home for generations of hard-boiled reporters like Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko, one of the hardest-drinking, most talented newspaper men in history. In fact, that’s now the reason to drop into this legendary dive: to rub elbows with the ghosts of Royko and his ilk, and to knock one or two back in their memory.

What: Billy Goat Tavern

When: Noon to ????

Where: 430 North Michigan Ave (down the stairs on the west side of the street)

Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me

The What’s My Line? of the NPR set, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me has achieved cult status among those fervent few for whom radio listening is normally confined to the far left side of the FM dial. Taped at the Chase Auditorium in the Loop every Thursday evening (with occasional summertime tapings in Millennium Park), WWDTM has become something of a hot ticket in town. Not Oprah-hot, mind you, but hotter than, say, behind-the-dugout box seats to a Cub game. And while both the shows set for June 9 and June 16 are apparently sold out, I will never underestimate the power and the resourcefulness of the people in this industry when it comes to getting their hands on last-minute tickets.

What: Live taping of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me

When: Thursdays at 7:00 pm

Where: Chase Auditorium, 10 South Dearborn St.

Barack Obama’s Chicago

Before he became the most powerful man in the world, Barack Obama called Chicago’s South Side home; specifically the Kenwood/Hyde Park neighborhood. Most North Siders don’t even know the place exists, but it’s worth the trip down there, especially if you’re in town the weekend before The Cable Show. Check out the Obama family home; try to spot some of the exotic wild parrots living in Hyde Park and nearby Jackson Park; visit two of the coolest independent bookstores on the planet (57th Street Books and the Seminary Co-op); tour the beautiful and historic University of Chicago campus (birthplace of both the Second City Comedy Troupe and the Atom Bomb); and order up a couple of eggs-over-easy at the Valois Diner, the President’s favorite breakfast joint, and a place operating under the whimsical and slightly odd banner, “See Your Food.”

What: Barrack Obama’s Neighborhood (Hyde Park/Kenwood)

When: Any old time

Where: 57th Street, just west of Lake Shore Drive

Architectural Boat Tour

To the outsider, you’ll never know how much pride we Chicagoans take in our skyline and our architecture. In this town — depending on who you’re taking to — names like Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe are almost as revered as Ernie Banks, Michael Jordan and Walter Payton. There are dozens of ways of enjoying Chicago’s architectural heritage, but by far the best is Chicago Line Cruises’ boat tour via the Chicago River. I know, I know. It’s architecture. How sexy can that be? But trust me; take the 90-minute tour. Not only won’t you regret it, you’ll thank me. [Editor Note: Make sure to keep an eye out for the suit guy. He likes to wave to people from one of the bridges and does costume changes.]

What: Chicago architectural boat tour

When: Hourly, beginning at 8:00 am

Where: North Pier Docks, 465 N. McClurg Court at the River East Arts Center

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Will you be at The Cable Show 2011? Plan on coming a day early to help Sportsman Channel and Hunt.Fish.Feed distribute meals at three local Chicago shelters. To volunteer for this year’s Cable Show community service effort, email Melinda Schwartz at mschwartz@ncta.com or call her at 301-482-1105. Make sure to leaver your contact information in the message.

Last year’s Hunt.Fish.Feed event in Los Angeles had a great turnout. Let’s make this year’s Hunt.Fish.Feed. just as great or even better!

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[UPDATE:The poll, “TV: What’s Next?” is now closed. Thank you to everyone for following along.]

We are polling The Cable Show community for The Next Big Thing by asking all of you, “TV: What’s Next?” Do you know what’s next for TV? Then share it with the world. And we’ll do our part to help re-tweet your message. If we think you are right about what’s next for TV, you may receive an initiation from us to come speak at The Park. Please send us your ideas via Twitter to @CableShow, by April 30, 2011 at 7 p.m. EST. Make sure to include the hashtag, #MyTVIdeain your reply. If you’re finding it difficult to answer “TV: What’s Next?” in your tweet, feel free to link to your answer on your blog or leave the rest of your answer in the comments below. Just make sure to include your Twitter handle in the answer.

Remember, you have until April 30 at 7 p.m. EST to send us your ideas.

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Panelists speak on advertising issues in the cable industry during the "Prepare to Merge: Advertising’s Creative/Planning Symbiosis & What it Means for Television" session at The Cable Show 2010.

The Cable Show 2011 Call for Speakers for our Management Sessions will close this Friday, February 18th. We are collecting speaker and subject proposals for the upcoming Cable Show 2011, held in Chicago from June 14-16.

Do you have an idea that would make for a great session and just the speaker that can present on it? Submit your proposal through our online form. The proposal should be a short summary that overviews the proposed topic and/or explains why the topic or speaker should be chosen. All submissions must be entered via our online submission process no later than Friday, February 18.

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Register early and save $100 off your registration. You can register via our online registration portal or via a faxed-in form. By registering early you get a wider pick of hotels in the Cable Show housing block. It’s only by booking a room with us that you get special access to discounted rates, shuttle services and show related materials.

The Cable Show is the place that you want to be at if you want unlimited exposure to the cable industry. Only at The Cable Show you will get to see demonstrations of the latest cable technology to hearing insights from the leaders of the technology world. Last year’s Cable Show featured CEOs from the top cable operating companies and the world’s most prominent programming and technology companies. 53% of attendees are executive-level and 30% reflect mid-level management positions that influence buying decisions across the global cable industry.

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The Cable Show Mobile app returns for another year. Enjoy at-the-show features like an interactive floor map, exhibitor materials and straight-from-the-source Twitter feeds. For 2011, we’ve added fresh enhancements like schedule & photo sharing, improved floor map interactivity, and more. It’s the ideal way to stay connected before, during and after the show.

Download Instructions

BlackBerry and Android Users:
On your mobile device, open your web browser and visit m.thecableshow.com. From there you will be directed to download the appropriate app version for your specific device.